Joanne Anderson loves to paint in a semi-surrealistic style, using mixed media of watercolour and acrylic with pen, ink and markers.

The Hanover artist has her work displayed in the guest gallery at the Victoria Park Gallery through the month of September. She was a guest artist here three years ago.

Since childhood, Anderson has been fascinated with the many forms of free expression in the art world.

"When introduced to painting in my teens, I was astonished by the work of others," she said. "I began to paint in a certain style, believing it would be more acceptable to the general public. Soon, this was not satisfying for me and I could not feel any connection to these images.

"Boredom quickly set in, and I could no longer paint in a manner that did not represent what I felt, saw, heard, and loved. Eventually, I gave up, and put down the brush for many years."

As maturity set in, the spark for the arts began to burn once again and Anderson now approaches a new painting with no formula or technique in mind.

"This allows me to see what a new collaboration between paint, subject and attentiveness might produce," she said. "I am drawn to things that make my world carefree and interesting, and I try to achieve balance, unity and harmony within myself and my art.

"Letting the paint dance between object/subject and illusion/reality, I believe that art should be fun and free of restrictions. I want the viewer to experience the same feeling as I do when I work on a painting, and have the painting bring forward emotions that are similar to my own or peculiar to the viewer."

Starting with a vision, her creativity materializes from many different forms and feelings inside her. This, in turn, energizes onto the canvas. "My paintings will never be the same, nor will they be different."

Anderson does not limit herself in subject matter, ranging from strongly narrative and darkly humorous figure work to exuberant, vivid botanicals, eclectic streetscapes and urban scenes, and highly-textured abstraction. Her use of materials is equally eclectic and innovative - acrylic and watercolours rub shoulders with drywall compound, grout and latex paint, as well as any interesting textural objects that catch her magpie eye.

"The semi-surrealism is really me," she said. "I've tried oil, but I'm just too impatient for that medium."

Anderson supports her art practice by working as a program assistant in the long-term care facility at the Village Seniors Community.